Granville Ryrie
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sir Granville de Laune Ryrie KCMG
, CB
, VD
(1 July 1865 – 2 October 1937) was an Australia
n soldier and politician who served in the Second Boer War
and the First World War.
on 1 July 1865, into a farming family. His father was Alexander Ryrie, a grazier and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
(1880-91) and of the Legislative Council
(1892-1909), and his mother was Charlotte, née Faunce, both born in New South Wales
. Granville was educated at Mittagong
and at The King's School, Sydney
; he later became a jackaroo
, and eventually managed his own property. He was also a good heavyweight boxer. In 1896 he married Mary, whom Ryrie nicknamed Mick.
Ryrie volunteered to serve in the Second Boer War
, from 1899 to 1902. He was selected to serve in one of the Bushmen's Contingents, groups of light horsemen, because of his skills on horseback and in shooting. During the war he was promoted to the position of honorary Major.
, where he served until 1910. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Australian House of Representatives
at the 1910 election
, but was elected to the Division of North Sydney
at a by-election on 11 March 1911, following the death of Hon. George Edwards
.
At the beginning of the First World War, Ryrie was promoted to Brigadier-General, and was given command of the 2nd Light Horse Brigade
, part of the Anzac Mounted Division
. He was in the Suez canal
area and then joined the Battle of Gallipoli
on 19 May 1915, where he was wounded twice. He was later moved to Egypt
and London
for respite, but rejoined the Brigade for the Sinai and Palestine campaign
. He was involved in the famous charge of the light horse in the Third Battle of Gaza
, in which Australian forces captured the town of Beersheba. In December 1918 he was made commander of the Australian Mounted Division
, and in April 1919 was put in charge of the Australian Imperial Force
. He was promoted Major General
in September.
of Billy Hughes
, assisting Senator George Pearce
. At the 1922 election
he was elected to the newly created Division of Warringah
, where he served until 1927, when he was appointed the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in London
. He was also an Australian delegate to the League of Nations
.
Ryrie returned to Australia in 1932, and died in Sydney
on 2 October 1937, survived by his wife and children. He was buried at Michelago, New South Wales
, after a state service at St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral.
Michelago Station is still in the Ryrie family and is run by David Ryrie, Granville's eldest grandson. David and his family still reside in the original homestead.
Ryrie Street in North Ryde, Sydney
is named in his honour.
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
Sir Granville de Laune Ryrie KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, VD
Volunteer Decoration
The Volunteer Officers' Decoration was created by Royal Warrant under command of Queen Victoria on 25 July 1892 to reward 'efficient and capable' officers of the Volunteer Force who had served for twenty years...
(1 July 1865 – 2 October 1937) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n soldier and politician who served in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
and the First World War.
Early life
Ryrie was born in Michelago, New South WalesMichelago, New South Wales
Michelago is a small settlement in the Monaro region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Cooma-Monaro Shire, approximately 54 km south of Canberra on the Monaro Highway. It was founded in the 1820s, on the main route from Sydney to the Snowy Mountains...
on 1 July 1865, into a farming family. His father was Alexander Ryrie, a grazier and member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...
(1880-91) and of the Legislative Council
New South Wales Legislative Council
The New South Wales Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of the parliament of New South Wales in Australia. The other is the Legislative Assembly. Both sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney. The Assembly is referred to as the lower house and the Council as...
(1892-1909), and his mother was Charlotte, née Faunce, both born in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Granville was educated at Mittagong
Mittagong, New South Wales
Mittagong is a town located in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in Wingecarribee Shire. At the 2006 census, Mittagong had a population of 7,460 people. The town can be seen as the gateway to the Southern Highlands when coming from Sydney. The town is close to Bowral, Berrima,...
and at The King's School, Sydney
The King's School, Sydney
The King's School is an independent Anglican, day and boarding school for boys in North Parramatta in the western suburbs of Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1831, it is Australia's oldest school and forms one of the nine "Great Public Schools" of New South Wales. Situated within a site, Gowan Brae,...
; he later became a jackaroo
Jackaroo (trainee)
A Jackaroo is a young man working on a sheep or cattle station, to gain practical experience in the skills needed to become an owner, overseer, manager, etc. The word originated in Queensland, Australia in the Nineteenth Century and is still in use in Australia and New Zealand in the twenty-first...
, and eventually managed his own property. He was also a good heavyweight boxer. In 1896 he married Mary, whom Ryrie nicknamed Mick.
Ryrie volunteered to serve in the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
, from 1899 to 1902. He was selected to serve in one of the Bushmen's Contingents, groups of light horsemen, because of his skills on horseback and in shooting. During the war he was promoted to the position of honorary Major.
Pre-war political career
In April 1906, Ryrie was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly as member for QueanbeyanElectoral district of Queanbeyan
Queanbeyan was an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales from 1859 to 1913, in the Queanbeyan area. It replaced parts of the electoral district of United Counties of Murray and St Vincent and the electoral district of Southern Boroughs...
, where he served until 1910. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
at the 1910 election
Australian federal election, 1910
Federal elections were held in Australia on 13 April 1910. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 18 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election...
, but was elected to the Division of North Sydney
Division of North Sydney
The Division of North Sydney is an Australian Electoral Division in New South Wales. The division is named after the North Sydney area where it is located. It was proclaimed in 1900 and was one of the original 75 divisions contested at the first federal election...
at a by-election on 11 March 1911, following the death of Hon. George Edwards
George Edwards (Australian politician)
George Bertrand Edwards was an Australian politician. Born in Hobart, Tasmania, where he was educated, he was a journalist in Tasmania before moving to Melbourne, where he became a businessman, later moving to Sydney. In 1901, he contested the first federal election as the Free Trade candidate for...
.
Military career
2nd Light Horse Brigade
The 2nd Light Horse Brigade was a mounted infantry brigade of the First Australian Imperial Force which served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. The brigade first saw action during the Dardanelles Campaign in the Battle of Gallipoli. After being withdrawn to Egypt in February 1916 they...
, part of the Anzac Mounted Division
Anzac Mounted Division
The ANZAC Mounted Division was a mounted infantry and mounted rifles division formed in March 1916 in Egypt during World War I following the Battle of Gallipoli when the Australian and New Zealand regiments returned from fighting dismounted as infantry...
. He was in the Suez canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
area and then joined the Battle of Gallipoli
Battle of Gallipoli
The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign or the Battle of Gallipoli, took place at the peninsula of Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire between 25 April 1915 and 9 January 1916, during the First World War...
on 19 May 1915, where he was wounded twice. He was later moved to Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for respite, but rejoined the Brigade for the Sinai and Palestine campaign
Sinai and Palestine Campaign
The Sinai and Palestine Campaigns took place in the Middle Eastern Theatre of World War I. A series of battles were fought between British Empire, German Empire and Ottoman Empire forces from 26 January 1915 to 31 October 1918, when the Armistice of Mudros was signed between the Ottoman Empire and...
. He was involved in the famous charge of the light horse in the Third Battle of Gaza
Third Battle of Gaza
The Third Battle of Gaza was fought in 1917 in southern Palestine during the First World War. The British Empire forces under the command of General Edmund Allenby successfully broke the Ottoman defensive Gaza-Beersheba line...
, in which Australian forces captured the town of Beersheba. In December 1918 he was made commander of the Australian Mounted Division
Australian Mounted Division
The Australian Mounted Division was a mounted infantry division formed in Egypt during World War I. When the British forces in the Middle East expanded in late 1916, a second mounted division was created called the Imperial Mounted Division...
, and in April 1919 was put in charge of the Australian Imperial Force
Australian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
. He was promoted Major General
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
in September.
Post-war career
After returning to Australia, Ryrie remained the Member for North Sydney. In 1920, he was made an Assistant Minister for Defence in the ministryFifth Hughes Ministry
The Fifth Hughes Ministry was the sixteenth Australian Commonwealth ministry, and ran from 4 February 1920 to 9 February 1923.Nationalist Party of Australia*Rt Hon Billy Hughes, MP: Prime Minister...
of Billy Hughes
Billy Hughes
William Morris "Billy" Hughes, CH, KC, MHR , Australian politician, was the seventh Prime Minister of Australia from 1915 to 1923....
, assisting Senator George Pearce
George Pearce
Sir George Foster Pearce KCVO was an Australian politician who was instrumental in founding the Australian Labor Party in Western Australia....
. At the 1922 election
Australian federal election, 1922
Federal elections were held in Australia on 16 December 1922. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Nationalist Party of Australia led by Prime Minister of Australia Billy Hughes lost its majority...
he was elected to the newly created Division of Warringah
Division of Warringah
The Division of Warringah is an Australian Electoral Division in the state of New South Wales. It is located in the Northern Beaches region of Sydney, and covers most of the land between Middle Harbour and the Pacific Ocean. It extends from Port Jackson in the south to the suburb of Dee Why in the...
, where he served until 1927, when he was appointed the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. He was also an Australian delegate to the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
.
Ryrie returned to Australia in 1932, and died in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
on 2 October 1937, survived by his wife and children. He was buried at Michelago, New South Wales
Michelago, New South Wales
Michelago is a small settlement in the Monaro region of New South Wales, Australia, in the Cooma-Monaro Shire, approximately 54 km south of Canberra on the Monaro Highway. It was founded in the 1820s, on the main route from Sydney to the Snowy Mountains...
, after a state service at St Andrew's Anglican Cathedral.
Michelago Station is still in the Ryrie family and is run by David Ryrie, Granville's eldest grandson. David and his family still reside in the original homestead.
Ryrie Street in North Ryde, Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
is named in his honour.